Implantable and Biodegradable Poly(l-lactic acid) Fibers for Optical Neural Interfaces

Advanced optical fibers and photonic structures play important roles in neuroscience research, along with recent progresses of genetically encoded optical actuators and indicators. Most techniques for optical neural implants rely on fused silica or long-lasting polymeric fiber structures. In this paper, implantable and biodegradable optical fibers based on poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) are presented. PLLA fibers with dimensions similar to standard silica fibers are constructed using a simple thermal drawing process at around 220 °C. The formed PLLA fibers exhibit high mechanical flexibility and optical transparency, and their structural evolution and optical property changes are systematically studied during in vitro degradation. In addition, their biocompatibility with brain tissues is evaluated in living mice, and full in vivo degradation is demonstrated. Finally, PLLA fibers are implemented as a tool for intracranial light delivery and detection, realizing deep brain fluorescence sensing and optogenetic interrogation in vivo. The presented materials and device platform offer paths to fully biocompatible and bioresorbable photonic systems for biomedical uses.